Despite news of increasingly tighter budgets across corporate law departments throughout the U.S., reports indicate that attorneys in the roles of General Counsel (GC) are still doing exceptionally well when it comes to compensation. According to Corporate Counsel’s latest GC compensation survey, many of America’s top legal experts are raking in hefty yearly sums, with the highest-earning GC scoring $28 million.
When breaking down the specifics of this lucrative trend in New York, we must turn to the New York Law Journal. The Journal’s research into the SEC pay disclosures of Fortune 1000 companies discovered private equity’s dominating presence in New York’s legal compensation scene. Legal chiefs involved in finance, insurance, and media claim the highest rungs of the state’s compensation ladder, with the only exception being Craig Silliman from Verizon, who made it to the top 10.
Leading the New York pack is Blackstone’s chief legal officer, John Finley, who garnered $22.2 million in total compensation last year, closely followed by KKR’s Kathryn “Katie” King Sudol, earning $18.6 million. Kathryn Ruemmler of Goldman Sachs nailed down the third spot with a total compensation of $17.1 million.
In a comment provided to the NYLJ, Jason Winmill, managing partner of Argopoint, stated: “Their GCs have gold-plated resumes, and those resumes command a lot of gold.”
Here are the ten highest-paid GC’s in New York in 2023:
- John G. Finley, Blackstone: $22,210,851
- Kathryn K. Sudol, KKR: $18,647,258
- Kathryn Ruemmler, Goldman Sachs: $17,129,562
- Bruce L. Campbell, Warner Bros. Discovery: $13,744,045
- Viet D. Dinh, Fox Corporation: $11,189,469
- Lucy Fato, AIG: $10,603,300
- Craig Silliman, Verizon: $8,634,497
- John Suydan, Apollo Global: $8,390,052
- Daniel Emerson, Take-Two Interactive: $8,123,367
- Avrohom J. Kess, Travelers: $6,818,623
To see the entire list, click here.
It is quite profitable to be a GC in New York, a fact demonstrated by this list of the state’s top-earning attorneys. Congratulations to all of them— the benefits of in-house legal work are apparent.